Game apparatus.



Patented Oct. 12, 1909.

YYil/ia Kru WILLIAM KRUSE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GAME ArrAnAro's.

Application filed March 30, 1909. Serial 180. 486,839.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 12, 1909.

To all whom a may concern:

Be known that I, WILLIAM KRUsE, a; citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that type of game apparatus which is adapted to be played by the rolling of a ball down an inclined surface, and pockets upon the surface, into which the ball may fall, each of the pockets representing a certain'play in the game; and the surface of the board has further 10- cat-ed thereon a number of pins or like obstructions against which the ball strikes during its downward course, deflecting it to various portions of the board.

The object of the present invention is to construct a game board on which a game may be played which will follow very closely a game of base ball as played by teams well drilled in the game.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan iew of the board; Fig. 2 a side elevation, of the same; Fig. 3 a detail, showing the striker or bat and Fig. 4, a longitudinal section through the groove and runway taken. on line 44 of Fig. 1. g

The board in itself is of rectangular box like formation having a based, side walls 5, and end walls 6. Located adjacent to the side wall on the right hand side of the board is a runway 7 which is covered, for a portion of its way up, by a top piece 8, the top piece havin formed,,in its body, a groove 9 down whlch'a ball 10 is adapted to run. Located at the rear portion of the runway 7 is a hole 11 formed in the top piece 8-, and adjacent to said hole is apivoted striker 12 which may be termed a bat. The striker is pivotedto a post 13 located upon the base portion of the board and extends through a slot in the side wall of the runway and side wall of the board, and at its outer end is connected to a spring 14 attached to the side wall of the board;

The end of the runway is open, and a pocket 15 is formed upon the board at that point to receive the ball in case the player should miss hitting it with the bat. This point of the game as closely resembles the knocking of a ball as can be accomplished with a small ame board of this nature.

The upper portion 16 of the runway is prefball is adapted to roll through this hole and onto the board A plurality of holes or pockets 19 are: formed in the base portion of the'board, which pockets are of a depth suflicient to hold the ball, when once it is delivered, squarely thereinto, but not sufficient depth to stop its rolling past them when it is traveling at a good rate of speed. That is to say, the ball will not necessarily rest in the first ocket which it strikes.

A plurality 0 pins 20 are located on the base of the board, and act as aguard for the pockets,the pockets most likely to be entered by the ball when it first starts downward on the board having more pins surrounding them than the pockets at the lower end, although in general terms it may be said that a pin is interposed in front of each hole, the'exception to this bein around the pockets which are marked sa e bunt and home run, although it is not understood by this description that'I desire in any way to limit myself to any particular arrangement of pins or pockets.

A base ball diamond 21', of the usual character, is printed upon the face of the board,

and, if desired, pictures of prominent players may be placed thereon in the positions which they occupy on a base ball diamond. The side wall of the runway, more especially upon the curved portion, may have depicted thereon a grandstand showing the crowd, etc., usually attendant on a ball game, the body portion of the base of the board being finished in green, the entire eifect will closely resemble that of a base ball field when a game is being played. A scoreboard 22 is conveniently located upon a board to enable the players to keep track of the ball strikes, etc.,- durin the game. Foldingtlegs 23 are hinged to t e front end of the ard so that the board may be set up .with the proper degree of slant, and the ball, when leaving the runway and entering onto the board, will be given a. proper degree of s at suitable positions on the board are pins 24 which serve as means for mountingv the batsman and base ruimers. This method of mounting is necessary in order that they may be suspended from the board to permit the ball to roll underneath them.

In use, the player having the outs will place the ball upon the groove 9 and the ball will then travel downwardly and drop through the hole 11. At the period while the ball is dropped, the player having the ins will let go of the striker or bat, and if this is done at the proper-moment the ball will be struck and sent up the runway through the opening 18 and onto the board. Should the player, however, miss the ball, it will roll backward and into the pocket 15, which will count as a strike in the game.

The ball which is struck'and sent up the runway, however, will travel down the board and be deflected through a zigzag course thereon, by reason of hitting the pins, until it will finally settle into one of the pockets on the board, which will count as a play similar to the inscription around the pocket. The inscriptions on these pockets are so placed that when a ball is settled into one of the pockets it will be as close a position as possible to that which it would occupy in a similar play in a ball game. For example, the pockets having the inscription safe bunt around them are located midway between the batsman and first base and between the pitcher and base line, this being the point at which a ball rests in a ball 7 game when such a play is executed.

The striker is formed to resemble in general appearance a base ball bat; and'the ball, .while made of some solid material, as marble or hardened clay, conforms in appearance to a base ball, the stitching being indicated in suitable manner thereon. These will serve, with the other features of the game, to make practically every department of it in conformity to a ball game.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a game apparatus, the combination of an inclined board having a supporting leg at its one end, a runway located at one side of the board having a cover provided with a groove therein, and a hole at the terminus of the groove through which a ball may be dropped, means located beneath the cover for striking the ball as it drops and projecting it up the runway and on to the board, a series of pockets formed on said board and adapted to retain the ball, and pins located at intervals on the board against which the ball strikes in its downward course, causing it to travel in a zigzag line, substantially as described.

2. In a game apparatus, the combination of an inclined board having a supporting leg at its one end. a runway located at one side drop, a striking arm pivoted on to the body of said board and projecting through a slot formed in the side walls of the runway and adapted to project the ball up the runway, a spring attached .to the arm and the side wall of the runway holding the arm normally in forward position, a series of pockets formed on said board and adapted to retain the ball, and pins located at intervals on the board against which the ball strikes in its downward course, causing it to travel in a zigzag line, substantially as described;

111 a game apparatus, the combination of an inclined board having a supporting leg at its one end, a runway located at one side )f the board having a cover partially covering the same, provided with a groove and having a hole at the terminus of the groove through which a ball may drop, a block located at the upper terminus of the runway, the inner side wall of the runway adjacent to the block having a hole through which the ball enters on ,to the board, means for striking the ball as it drops, projecting it up therunway and on to the board, a series of pockets formed on said board and adapted to retain the ball, and pins located at intervals on the board against which the ball strikes in its downward course, causing it to travel in a'zigzag line, substantially as described.

4. In a game apparatus, the combination of an inclined board having depicted thereon the representation of a base-ball diamond, pins located upon the diamond and adapted to retain representations of batsmen and base runners in their proper stations, a runway located at one side of the board having a cover for partially covering the runway, said cover being provided with a groove and having a hole at the terminus of the groove, means for striking the ball as it drops through the hole, projecting it up the runway, a-block located at the upper terminqs of the runway, the inner side wall of the runway ad'acent to said block having a hole through w ich the ball enters on to the board, a series of pockets formed on said board, each pocket being inscribed with the name of a play performed in the course of a ball game, and pins located upon the board against which'the ballstrikes in its downward course, causing it to descend in a zigzag line, substantially as described.

WILLIAM KRUSE. -Witnesses:

WM. P. Bonn, PIERSON W. BANKING. 

